__________ Social Sciences __________ Te Ao Tangata

UNDERSTAND – Big ideas

KNOW – Whakapapa me te whanaungatanga | Culture and identity 

KNOW – Tino rangatiratanga me te kāwanatanga | Government and organisation

KNOW – Tūrangawaewae me te kaitiakitanga | Place and environment

KNOW - Kōwhiringa ohaoha me te whai oranga | Economic activity

DO – Inquiry practices that bring rigor to learning

The Social Sciences learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate as critical, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand. Through the social sciences, students develop the knowledge and skills to enable them to: better understand, participate in, and contribute to the local, national, and global communities in which they live and work; engage critically with societal issues; and evaluate the sustainability of alternative social, economic, political, and environmental practices.

Students explore the unique bicultural nature of New Zealand society that derives from the Treaty of Waitangi and Aotearoa New Zealand histories. They learn about people, places, cultures, histories, and the economic world, within and beyond New Zealand. They develop understandings about how societies are organised and function and how the ways in which people and communities respond are shaped by different perspectives, values, and viewpoints. As they explore how others see themselves, students clarify their own identities in relation to their particular heritages and contexts.

Learning in the Social Sciences directly supports the refreshed NZ Curriculum vision for young people 'who are strong in their identities, languages, cultures, and values, so that they can confidently carry who they are wherever they go. They have a strong sense of belonging, which builds the foundation to be courageous, confident, and curious, understanding that success can look different for them all'.

At John Paul II High School it is compulsory to take Social Studies in Years 9 and 10. Students will learn get to know their local area and it's history well through regular field trips and project based learning, as well as learning about national and global history and events.

At years 11-13 the Social Sciences branch into more specialised areas, including: 

• History 
• Geography
• Media Studies

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Subjects in this Learning Area